Derlique Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 (edited) I think we can all agree that this team has surpassed expectations to this point. Typically, teams in a playoff spot at American Thanksgiving have a very good shot at the playoffs. Schneider has been awesome, the young D has held up fairly well and the top two lines have been awesome. The problem is that most of those guys are in line for career years and I don't think we can reasonably expect that they'll continue this pace. Cammalleri is on pace for 85 points (previous high is 82), Stempniak/Palmieri/Henrique on pace for ~60 points. Stempniak has never hit 40, Henrique has been a consistent mid-40s guy and while I admit Palmieri is a bit of an unknown, 60 points does seem a bit high for him. As outlined above, it is unrealistic to think that they'll continue at this pace. Which means they need to find ANY secondary scoring from either their defense, or the bottom 6. I don't think it'll come from the D, especially if Gelinas isn't consistently in the lineup. I thought Severson would be able to flirt with double digits this year but his play has been up and down. Which brings us to the bottom 6. I like Josefson as a defensive player and do think he is a decent passer but it's clear there is no offense to his game. Tootoo has some skills but you cant count on him to provide much offense. Kalinin has played well but I don't know how much he has to offer offensively. Matteau is pretty much the definition of meh. Tlusty has been a major disappointment but I suspect he isn't even close to being fully healthy. The bottom line has been an unmitigated disaster. The Brian O'Neill experiment has run it's course. It's been 20 games and I think it's clear he isn't a NHL player. Gionta, I can live with because he's a very good penalty killer but obviously there is no offense. I'll admit I enjoy watching Farnham play due to his general recklessness but you don't suddenly become good at 26 years old. He's going to come back to earth and take dumb penalties. Luckily, reinforcements seem to be coming. Elias should be back within the week. Though I don't think you can count on him to stay healthy he should be a .4 PPG player which will really help the bottom 6. I'd like to see him play with Josefson and Tlusty. I do think they sign Kennedy which would gives them flexibility as TK can play pretty much anywhere in the lineup. I'm not counting on much from Ruutu when he gets back as his speed has diminished but I do think he's better than Matteau. Boucher has played well in Albany and could be an option. My question is: Being that Hynes' system emphasizes speed, is having slower players like Elias and Ruutu going to hurt the pace? They shouldn't touch the top 6, except maybe Tlusty or TK for Kalinin on the second line. As evidenced by the fact that the top 6 rarely dumps the puck in while the bottom 6 does very often, we know that Hynes doesn't mind having his lines play differently. Will be interesting to see what happens. My lines: Cammalleri-Henrique-Stempniak Kennedy-Zajac-Palmieri Elias-Josefson-Tlusty Ruutu-Kalinin-Tootoo ex. Matteau and Gionta Edited November 23, 2015 by SMantzas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Is Elias really that slow? I don't have the inclination to look into it that closely, but I imagine a lot of the offense is coming from the powerplay which is something like third in the league at this point. Couldn't tell you how sustainable that is though. I don't think it's that unreasonable to expect Henrique's point production to go up this year. He's still at that point in his career where he ought to be on an upward projection. He's also mentioned that the offseason wrist surgery he had has helped a lot. So a 50-60 point year isn't an unreasonable thing to hope for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgeControl Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 the negative numbers are all from the bottom 6,,, as goods as JJ is supposed to be defensively his line is losing their shifts. give the AHLers another shot... time to mix it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SterioDesign Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 the real "reality" is that we'd need "real" top 6 players, at least legit first line players and push those our top 6 down a bit. Then we'd have a solid group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 The other guy that hasn't gotten mentioned as possible call up for the bottom six is Blandisi. He didn't look out of place in the preseason, and his superficial AHL stats have been good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derlique Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 The other guy that hasn't gotten mentioned as possible call up for the bottom six is Blandisi. He didn't look out of place in the preseason, and his superficial AHL stats have been good. Yeah, you could make an argument for Blandisi or Sislo coming up. I'd rather keep Blandisi in Albany playing a top 6 role, though. With the way NJ's top 2 lines have been playing, I don't think you wanna mess with that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Yeah, I don't know about bringing Blandisi up. Although he needs more point production, Josefson's playing at about the right level to remain on the 3rd line, especially when Elias comes back. SMantzas's 3rd line looks like a no-brainer when Elias comes back. As for Kennedy slotting into the 2nd line, I can't see that happening. While Kalinin's not getting the points he should, he's doing a lot of things well and giving hell to the opposition. He's an unsung hero on that 2nd line that's creating space for Zajac and Palmieri to do their thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derlique Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 Yeah, I don't know about bringing Blandisi up. Although he needs more point production, Josefson's playing at about the right level to remain on the 3rd line, especially when Elias comes back. SMantzas's 3rd line looks like a no-brainer when Elias comes back. As for Kennedy slotting into the 2nd line, I can't see that happening. While Kalinin's not getting the points he should, he's doing a lot of things well and giving hell to the opposition. He's an unsung hero on that 2nd line that's creating space for Zajac and Palmieri to do their thing. I'm on the fence about Kalinin in that second line role. On one hand, he sure passes the eye test and does have 9 shots in his last 5 games which is decent. I just don't think he has a ton of offensive upside. He does look fine in the role he's in but I think we can do better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I like Kalinin on that line. Obviously long-term I'd want to do better but he's not looking out of place there - he has enough speed to make plays in open ice and obviously is excellent along the boards. I don't think he should be a center. Tlusty does not seem like he is fully healthy, either that or he's just a washout. He was playing much better before the injury. Tootoo's got some skills but his default is to dump the puck in - I'd like to get someone else on that line if Elias is put there with Josefson. Maybe Tyler Kennedy is that guy. I know they don't have anyone in the minors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecoffeecake Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 (edited) The last few years when the bottom 6 was the only watchable offensive group, and debates on here would go on about certain forwards, a lot of people said things like "you can always find bottom 6 guys". Now, don't get me wrong, I love what Shero has done, and I love the house cleaning we've seen, but I said early on in the process I wanted Bernier and Gomez to get at least another year. I think the bottom 6 looks a lot stronger with those two guys in it. Edited November 23, 2015 by thecoffeecake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I'm on the fence about Kalinin in that second line role. On one hand, he sure passes the eye test and does have 9 shots in his last 5 games which is decent. I just don't think he has a ton of offensive upside. He does look fine in the role he's in but I think we can do better Definitely agree with you there. Like SD said, once/if we get "real top 6 player(s)" (and who knows, that may be next offseason), Kalinin probably gets pushed down to the bottom 6, making the bottom 6 better. Just don't think Kennedy is that guy who pushes him out. But hey, if he is, that means he's doing well and there's nothing to complain about there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derlique Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 I like Kalinin on that line. Obviously long-term I'd want to do better but he's not looking out of place there - he has enough speed to make plays in open ice and obviously is excellent along the boards. I don't think he should be a center. Tlusty does not seem like he is fully healthy, either that or he's just a washout. He was playing much better before the injury. Tootoo's got some skills but his default is to dump the puck in - I'd like to get someone else on that line if Elias is put there with Josefson. Maybe Tyler Kennedy is that guy. I know they don't have anyone in the minors. If the pair of Elias-Josefson does indeed happen, I think you need a bulk shooter to complete the trio. After looking at some numbers, Tlusty has only averaged over 2 shots per game once in his career. I'm not so sure Sislo would be a terrible option there. Boucher or Elias would have to play off wing if Reid is the guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDfan1711 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 The last few years when the bottom 6 was the only watchable offensive group, and debates on here would go on about certain forwards, a lot of people said things like "you can always find bottom 6 guys". Now, don't get me wrong, I love what Hynes has done, and I love the house cleaning we've seen, but I said early on in the process I wanted Bernier and Gomez to get at least another year. I think the bottom 6 looks a lot stronger with those two guys in it. 100% agreed. They wouldn't have cost much at all, so I really don't see what the problem was with bringing them back. They obviously weren't good enough for the top two lines which is where we were needing them and trying to make the fit into last year, but they were veterans who could be role players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 100% agreed. They wouldn't have cost much at all, so I really don't see what the problem was with bringing them back. They obviously weren't good enough for the top two lines which is where we were needing them and trying to make the fit into last year, but they were veterans who could be role players. Do you think Gomez and Bernier would want to play bottom 6 minutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 the real "reality" is that we'd need "real" top 6 players, at least legit first line players and push those our top 6 down a bit. Then we'd have a solid group. Nailed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SterioDesign Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 i dont know why, but i always had a feeling that Lars Eller would end up in NJ at some point. I havent read rumours or anything about it i just have that feeling lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Do you think Gomez and Bernier would want to play bottom 6 minutes? That's all they're doing now...Bernier and Gomez both are playing 11-12 minutes a night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SterioDesign Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 (edited) Yes, you two are the only people in the world who want the Devils to have top-line players. I don't understand why Shero didn't just go to the Top-3-Store and pick a few out? Maybe the Generational-Talent-Tree and grab some from the tallest branch? This game is so easy, it's so silly that we didn't just get some generational talent in one offseason. So, what happened? Tell me where does that inner frustration comes from. You stepped on a lego this morning right? Edited November 24, 2015 by SterioDesign Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 That's all they're doing now...Bernier and Gomez both are playing 11-12 minutes a night After they were rejected by the rest of the league as Bernier was a signing right before training camp and Gomez signed after a PTO with the Blues. By that time the Devils had already moved on from them and replaced them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecoffeecake Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 After they were rejected by the rest of the league as Bernier was a signing right before training camp and Gomez signed after a PTO with the Blues. By that time the Devils had already moved on from them and replaced them. I'm not sure either of them had any delusions that they were top 6 guys before we let them go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgeControl Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 If the pair of Elias-Josefson does indeed happen, I think you need a bulk shooter to complete the trio. After looking at some numbers, Tlusty has only averaged over 2 shots per game once in his career. I'm not so sure Sislo would be a terrible option there. Boucher or Elias would have to play off wing if Reid is the guy I agree, sislo should be called up and given a shot with JJ and patty, he's playing well in albany Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SterioDesign Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 A broken record and his unintelligent fan club, my dear. lol what's your problem? I didn't say that we didn't have real top line guys in any negative ways or that I thought I was breaking the news to anyone here. I was simply pointing out that our bottom 6 will be fine with cause we really do have good bottom 6 guys but they have bigger roles at the moment. There's days where you can be a real jerk. And today is one of them clearly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Dan 56 Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 (edited) Yes, you two are the only people in the world who want the Devils to have top-line players. I don't understand why Shero didn't just go to the Top-3-Store and pick a few out? Maybe the Generational-Talent-Tree and grab some from the tallest branch? This game is so easy, it's so silly that we didn't just get some generational talent in one offseason. To be fair, Shero has had the job over 6 months. I expected at LEAST 3 cups by now. Edited November 25, 2015 by Devil Dan 56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 My initial reply wasn't to you directly. It just seems like in every thread a group of 3 or 4 people say "yes, we may have beaten XXX but we won't compete until we add 2 or 3 first line players". It's such an obvious statement that it gets annoying reading it 3-4 times a day. If you aren't one of the people who posts it every day, I redact my broken record comment The fact remains, there are several guys in our top 6 that belong in the bottom 6, and guys in the bottom 6 who belong in the AHL or elsewhere. No, it's not easy yo add those kind of players. But to say the bottom 6 are the Devils biggest issue is not accurate whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 (edited) The long-term problem with the bottom six is that the Devils lack a real top line. Now, the current top line has been getting top line results, but that's not going to continue all year long. Edited November 25, 2015 by Marshall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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